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 Mr. Clagg found out he gambled bad, an' that he'd got into a set of men in the city that was shady enough to turn him into a real blackguard if he didn't look out! Mr. Clagg talked a lot to him an' straightened out his money-matters for him, and then he come away from New York and started into practicin' law in Boston."

Touchtone listened with interest quite as much as Gerald, to whom this was an exciting sketch from real life, which, as later he would find, alas! has so many like it. But the next paragraph of Mr. Winthrop Jennison's discreditable history made Philip's attention suddenly sharp, and a flush of color came into his face.

"We heard these things an' lots more about him, better or worse, mostly worse. Wife and I wondered at 'em and was sorry. But whenever he come over here, no matter what he might be further inside, Mr. Winthrop was always a perfect gentleman, not a bit dissipated-lookin', exceptin' his bein' generally very pale; and we rather liked his visits. He seemed pretty well tired out when he was here. He'd shut himself up in his room, or take a boat an' go fishin'. Wife an' I think he's